By Kim J. Harmon

E

ven though the Nighthawks are coming into the 2000 season as two-time defending champions of the South-West Conference there probably is no one – especially after graduation utterly ravaged the team – willing to believe the girls can successfully retain that title.

Of course, that may be their edge.

Last year, it was an unbelievably strong core of just 12 athletes – like Erica Masella, Jen Mazur, Janelle Tracy, Shannon Elf, Laurie Miller and Kim Snow to name a few – that went to the SWC championship meet and brought the 1999 title to Newtown.

But most of those athletes are gone now and the job of leading the team has been left to a lot of inexperienced people.

The ‘Hawks have to move on without Masella (high jump), Mazur (110- and 300-meter hurdles), Elf (100- and 200-meter dashes and javelin), Tabitha Cannata (800- and 1,600-meter runs), Kim Snow (800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs), Johanna Francis (1,600- and 3,200-meter runs) and Tracy Ravetto (800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs).

“A lot of people have graduated,” said coach Marsha Caine, “so it is definitely a rebuilding year for us.”

But the ‘Hawks are lucky to have senior captains Janelle Tracy back for one last go-round in the SWC. Tracy is the premier sprinter in the SWC and returns to defend her 100- and 200-meter dash titles from 1999 (she is a four-time winner in the 55-meter dash in indoor track). It is her influence, along with that of senior captain Shawna King, which can help the Nighthawks in 2000.

But the harsh reality is, the ‘Hawks will have to indoctrinate a lot of newcomers into the sport of track and field. Yet, with all the freshmen and the other newcomers, coach Caine expects some nice things from people like Caitlin Elf and Allison Frobey in the sprints and Danielle Licursi in the throwing events. Then there is Lauren Carbonall, Erin MacKnight and Liz Kochuba – all of whom can provide a spark.

It is the returning athletes, though, who will have to lead the way.

Coach Caine would love to expect another outstanding season from junior long jumper Laurie Miller, but Miller has been beset by a knee injury and her status for 2000 is still unclear. But coach Caine knows that Cara Delvecchio will provide another solid year in the hurdles and jumps and Erin Kostecki – an outstanding cross country runner – will solidify the ravaged long distance corps with her efforts in the mile and half-mile.

Yet, even with the season a few days a way coach Caine still doesn’t know what to fully expect.

“We’re definitely trying to rebuild and find out where all these people should go,” she said. “I don’t have a sense, right now, because we haven’t focussed on a lot of events. We’ve just been working on conditioning.”

Sure, defending the 1999 championship will take an enormous effort and lot of luck but the Newtown girls’ track program has been so phenomenally successful over the years that one can almost expect – inexperienced or not – that the ‘Hawks will be right in the thick of things anyway.

DATE      OPPONENT      H/A

April 10      Bethel, Foran              A

                   Jonathan Law

May 1         Masuk, Pomperaug      H

                   New Milford

May 4         Bunnell, Notre Dame   A

                   Immaculate

May 8         Weston, Brookfield     A

                   Lauralton Hall

May 15       Stratford, Barlow        A

                   New Fairfield

May 22       SWC championship